A SECOND UK PASSPORT?!

full disclosure: this is a branded post, but for good reason. you see, i had no idea you could apply for a second passport if you were already holding a british passport, but it turns out, you can. and i figured if i didn't know - based on the amount of travel i do on my current (and sole) british passport, then maybe you didn't either, and that makes this post both helpful and educational - two of my favourite things.

so, what is a second passport?

it's when one person holds two separate passports, that are not connected in any other way except your information. you can use them simultaneously too, which is what blows my mind the most; like, you see spies on telly with more than one passport - but they're all in different names! this service allows one person to have multiple passport numbers in the same name, nationality, and with different stamps in each.

why would i want one?

basically, it comes in handy in a few situations. say you've applied for a visa to enter one country, and had to surrender your passport at the time. in the case of the second passport, you would be free to travel still to countries where a visa isn't required (or you already have one) with one while the other is with the embassy. it would also come in handy for travel between conflicting countries or states, where a certain stamp from one country could result in you not being allowed entry to the other. how cool is that!? or, if you travel a lot for work and your passport fills up quickly; pilots, cabin crew, and business people who work out of africa and asia and who enter a lot of countries would reeeally benefit from this option!

who can apply for one?

any british citizen who already holds one valid uk passport. it's important to note that this particular service is only available to those who are eligible for a uk passport. although, knowing that it does exist for us only makes me think it probably exists elsewhere too. definitely look into it, if you have an alternative passport.

how do i apply for one?

great question. so, just like your regular passport, you can apply for this her madge's royal postal service. however, unlike your regular passport, the process is a lot more complicated, and there's little info on the government website about how to apply. this is likely deliberate because although these second passports are just as available as the first, the government prefers to not give them out. so, you will find little help on them in the usual places.

you can try and complete the application process yourself, as there are some useful guides online if you look hard enough. if that's not your bag, then there is another way: rapid passports are a third party service who will take the hassle out of the passport application for you, for a little bit extra than what it would normally cost. and really, when it comes to something as important as an official travel document, do you really trust yourself? i sure as hell know i don't, which is why i tend to leave all planning and bookings to someone else. why would this be any different?

*written in collaboration with rapid passports, but aaaaall words are mine.